Pokemon ORAS Revamped
by Pjofan1000
Summary: Join Will, Ember and Vern as they journey through the Hoenn region. The Pokemon World is going to be in for a huge shock. Read an account of their rise to greatness. Has some elements of the Anime, but some elements of the ORAS games. Ash and co. are mentioned and have brief cameos throughout the story. Mild Ash! bashing. Ash WILL grow. He is not immortal. Pairings: [Will, Elena]
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hi guys. This is my new story, and I hope you like it. For future reference please note that Pokemon Master The Tale Unfolds is ON HIATUS As of now. Sorry, but I just don't feel like writing it now. Thanks for your support.

Chapter 1: Embers Of A New Beginning.

I hugged Turtwig happily. I could hardly wait! We were in littleroot town and I was very excited. I would soon be receiving my first pokemon. I also really wanted to meet my new neighbours. I felt the truck stop as Torkoal, Turtwig and I hopped out of the van. The place seemed way smaller than Petalburg city, where my friend May and her brother Max lived as the son and daughter of Norman, the gym leader. I dusted off my T-shirt which said "GRAND FESTIVAL" On it from the time I went with May for a school trip.

"Well, Torky it looks like home. How do you like it?" I said.

Torkoal snorted smoke out of his nose. I carefully set our newly hatched Turtwig, Tiny on the ground as he ran around Torkoal. I hurried and brought them inside and ran as quick as I could upstairs where my little Postcard from Professor Birch was and before I went outside my mom yelled "Ember! The professor is not at the lab. Why don't you go visit your new neighbor meet you neighbor Will and his family!"

"I hear he is a very experienced trainer already! " She added

I sighed and stuffed the card in my pocket. It would have to wait. I decided to bring Torkoal with me so that he could make friends with the other guys pokemon.

At Will's House:

"Mom, is it necessary for me to meet the neighbor?" 10 year old Will asked with a pleasant lilt to his voice.

"Yes Will, it is only polite, You know they do have a few pokemon as pets."

"Pah. They couldn't lift a finger against my Gabite." he said confidently.

His mom walked into the room.

"Will, don't even think about battling them, their daughter just started her journey." She said.

"Maybe I could help her, by travelling with her, if you'll allow it mother." He asked

"Of course Will, why wouldn't I allow it?" she said.

The doorbell rang. Will's mom went to answer the door.

"Hello! You must be Ember!" She said.

Will got a glimpse of a girl about his age with brownish red hair and amber eyes with a healthy looking Torkoal. The pokemon tilted its head at Will.

"Hi! Oh, this is Torkoal, but we call him Torky." I said to Will.

Will inspected the Pokemon carefully, and observed that it was perfectly taken care of. It looked really tough, but he wasn't sure that she owned it.

"Is it yours?"

"Well kind of, he's our family pet but I raised him and cared for him for a lot of time. I even trained him to use combination moves like top coordinators. Do you want to battle?" She asked excitedly

Will grinned. It was showtime.

In the backyard, Will held his pokeball tight. It was a timed one on one battle and it was about to begin. 3...2...1…

"Come on out, Gabite!" He yelled. His healthy and strong Gabite came out in battle stance. "Use Draco Meteor!"

He watched as the meteors came to the ground, impacting the Torkoal.

"Use dig, while using flame charge!" Ember yelled at the same time.

He watched as the pokemon sped through the ground with the attack, but got hit by the meteors. Torkoal immediately fell to the ground in a faint "Torkoal. Nice job. You were awesome." She praised hugging her beloved pokemon.

"Nice job..That was a great battle!" She said shaking Wills hand.

Will was actually impressed. That had been a good battle and her Torkoal had potential. It could have won if she had more experience in the field

"Thanks. That was a cool combination of flame charge and must be into contests, am I right?"

"Oh! I taught him that as a quick and safe dodge. He does not really have much speed so I used flame charge as a dodge."

"Ahh. So..Are you going to defeat gyms or be a pokemon coordinator."

"I like pokemon contests but I could go for doing gyms. I would probably do contests if though."

She replied.

Thats when a yell echoed from in the woods and a growl came with it. Ember made Torkoal stay and started to run, I was behind her and they plunged right into the dark forest.

We ran towards the sound and found it was the pokemon professor like the one on my postcard, Professor Birch. He was being chased by a horde of about 5-6 Zigzagoon.

"Help! Can you grab one of the Pokemon in the bag?"

Ember did as told. I however, merely sent out Metang

"Come on out" she yelled and found herself face to face with a mudkip.

I wondered what the purpose of this exercise was. I mean, didn't the Professor carry around any Pokemon?

"Step aside Ember, I got this." I said confidently

Metang, use Meteor Mash. My Metang, a hue of gold and silver used the move. The hands of said Pokemon started glowing, and they collided with the Zigzagoon. All 6 of them fainted. Suddenly, before the Prof. could move, 3 Poochyena jumped out of the bushes and surrounded him. I was about to attack, when Ember made her Mudkip use Water Gun thrice. All the Poochyena got hit, and each one fainted from the attack, because of Mudkip landing a critical hit.

"Thank you, thank you so much." said the exhausted Professor. "You must be Ember. Are you here to receive your Pokemon? You can stop by at my lab later. And.. wait WHAT? Will, is that you? Where have you been for the past year? I've been wanting to ask you about all the Pokemon that you've caught. There is hardly enough space for them all in my lab."

"Professor Birch, nice to see you too,"I replied. "It's been too long. As for the Pokemon, that won't be a problem anymore." I showed him my Aura Crystal

"Is that… Is that what I think it is?" exclaimed the excited Professor.

"It is. I found it in the forest when I was training. It can hold all of my Pokemon inside, and it has habitats for each type. All I need to do is put a Pokeball on the crystal, and the Pokemon will be transferred inside."

"Well anyways," said the Prof. "Come down to my lab ASAP. We need to get Ember her Pokedex, Pokeballs, Ribbon Case and Trainer's License. I'll see you both there"

The Prof. ran back to the lab.

5 hours later:

At the Prof's Lab.

3rd Person P.O.V

Ember and Will both ran back to the lab. When they reached, Will's mother hugged him and wished him luck on his journeys, knowing that he could look after himself, and his new travelling companion

Chapter 3: Meeting Will's Pokemon

Italic = Telepathy- In this chapter and in future chapters, Telepathy will be only for the Eon Duo, and Psychic Pokemon. What has occurred in telepathic conversations has not been heard by anyone except Will.

Ember's P.O.V

Will and I finally arrived at the lab. I was so excited to collect my pokemon, who was going to be taken taken by the Prof. for some last minute checks, as well as my Ribbon Case and Pokedex. As we walked down the lab I felt kind of nervous. I really liked all the pokemon and I didn't know which one I really wanted. We walked in to see complex machinery and Pokemon of all sorts running around. There were about 10 Pokemon in the lab, and when they saw Will, they all tackled(no pun intended) him in a hug.

It was a heartwarming scene until a Donphan tried to hug him. Scared for his life, and not wanting to be impaled by a tusk, Will ran in circles around the lab screaming bloody murder.

The Pokemon in the lab were his and other trainers' who had started their journey a year or two ago. He talked to the Shroomish,Pupitar and Lucario.

"Hey guys, are you ready to come on a journey with me?" he asked.

All the Pokemon nodded, but before they could be captured, a random Munchlax tried to eat all the Pokeballs that the Prof. was holding out. Thankfully, the Professor had forgot that Will had an aura crystal, so there was no harm done.

All the Pokemon were summoned into the crystal, because they were willing to be captured.

Professor Birch grinned.

"Ready for your new Pokemon?" He asked me with delight.

"Uh..I really like all the Hoenn starters and I can't decide!"

"Well then, I believe I have a solution to that quandary. Why don't you take all of them along with you. There aren't any more trainers this year, so I have time to go out and capture more starters." This was said at lightning speed by an ecstatic Prof. Birch.

I agreed happily, but then noticed something. A whimper came from the corner of the room. I turned around and saw a little Eevee whimpering in the corner. It looked at me and slowly walked towards me. I turned around

"Professor, what about this one?" I asked

"Oh. We found this Eevee hurt at Slateport city. Her trainer abandoned her and it's afraid of all human company. It seems to like you. This Eevee is actually really special, as it has a Hidden Ability called Anticipation. You can use your Dex to check it out. Also, what's even more curious is that this Eevee has even more unstable genetics in it's DNA, and this allows it to change form into any of it's evolutions at will. This would be a great asset for a starter Trainer like you!"

Blue light flashed in my eyes. I saw Eevee being attacked with hyper beam. A mystical Pokemon that I had never seen before jumped out of Will's crystal, and countered the Hyper Beam with a blinding attack. I was in awe of the sheer power that Pokemon seemed to possess. It was hovering in midair, a hue of red and white, with extremely beautiful amber eyes.

Will jumped.

"Latias, what are you doing? You can't reveal yourself to anyone. I told you not to. No matter what the circumstances." he said, hyperventilating.

The Pokemon did a circle or two in midair, then went back inside the crystal with a flash, before I could thank her.

Will, this girl is different. She has so much potential, and it seems she has control over Aura. We cannot allow her Pokemon to be injured. That Eevee has suffered much abuse in it's life with it's previous owner. I could not stand by and watch. Latios was sleeping when I came out, otherwise I'm sure he would have come too.

Will instantly looked at me. It was like he knew something I didn't.

I blinked.

"I choose Eevee," I said.

Professor Birch smiled.

"It seems like you too were meant to be. Torchic, Treecko and Mudkip are here and here is your Pokedex and the rest of your pokeballs. Oh yeah, Eevee is not comfortable being in pokeballs so she prefers to walk around.." Professor added.

"Thanks professor! I promise to keep in touch!" I said. I picked Eevee up and she used shadow ball on me, knocking me to the ground.

"Hey! I thought you liked me!" I said getting up.

Eevee sniffed and walked out. As much as she did, she was snooty.

I stared. Eevee stared back. Professor gave a nervous laugh

"Eevee here has got quite an attitude. Maybe travelling will bring you together."

Then I remembered.

"Did May come in recently?" I asked

"Oh! Yes, she did! She choose a Torchic. Currently she is travelling with Max, a boy named Ash and Brock, the pewter city gym leader. They should be in Rustboro by now"

"Cool! Maybe we can catch up to them.." I said.

"Oh! Thats right, you lived in Petalburg."  
>"Yup"<p>

Will cleared his throat

"It's obvious that we should get to Petalburg as soon as possible. There should be a Contest there today actually. I don't think we can make it by foot, and we both don't have bikes."

He said,"I guess, since you're travelling with me, I can let you in on one of my secrets. I have been training Pokemon since I was 8, and Metang and Gabite aren't my only Pokemon. I'd like you to meet another special friend of mine. Go! Gallade!"

Gallade appeared from the crystal in a flash of blue. It was a majestic Pokemon with two bladelike hands. It looked every bit like the knights from the mythology I had read when I was just a little kid!

"Gallade, could you please Teleport us to Petalburg quickly please?"

Of course Master, I will do as you command

We arrived at Petalburg just a second later. I was in awe of Will's abilities. I wondered whether I could ever be as strong as him.

As if reading my mind, he reassured me by saying

" Don't worry. I have had two whole years to hone my skills, and so I have a lot more experience. I'm sure you will be a great Coordinator, once you start training your Pokemon.

"Finally, we're here!" I exclaimed, and immediately ran into the Contest Lobby, so I could register myself for the Grand Festival on Ever Grande City, which was about 9 months away, along with the Contest in Petalburg today. Will decided to go to the Pokemon Center and see if my friends were there, like Prof. Birch had said they were. I followed suit, as soon as he was done with registering.

"Hello, my name is Will. It's nice to meet you," I told Ash, May, Max and Brock.

"Hi! Are you a Pokemon trainer too?" Ash asked.

"If you are referring to being in the Pokemon League, then yes you are correct."

"Cool! I wanna battle you now!" Ash said

"Hey! I need to go train! I have a contest in half an hour. I already thought through my routine..

.MAX! Is that you?" I said

"Hi Ember!"Max exclaimed. May came up behind him.

"MAY!"

"EMBER"

The two friends yelled in unison so it sounded like

"MEMBER!"

People all around the center glared at the two kids.

After 5 minutes straight of conversation the two agreed on battling. Will would be the referee and to make it more like a contest battle, Brock, Ash and Max would judge. They went to the battlefield outside the Pokemon Center and began.

"This match will be a two on two Pokemon Contest Battle. The battle ends when both Pokemon of either trainer are unable to battle. Begin!

"Come out Treecko!" I said.

May hesitated.

"Torchic, help me out!" May called.

I know she had an advantage but I wanted to get to know my Treecko and to find it's battling style and personality.

"Treecko, use agility!" I yelled.

My pokemon quickly slammed into Torchic.

"Torchic Ember!"

"Treecko, dodge and finish with a Quick Pound!"

White sparks surrounded Treecko, and he slammed into Torchic at the speed of a Quick Attack, with it's tail, signalling that it had used Pound as well.

Torchic fell to the ground with circles in it's eyes.

"Torchic is unable to battle," said Will and Brock in unison

"What move was that?" asked Ash

" It was Quick Pound, one of the Contest Combinations I've been working on for the Contest in Petalburg." replied Ember.

" THERE'S A CONTEST IN PETALBURG!" screamed May.

"Yeah, didn't you know?" asked Ember.

"Ohh...yeah wait I totally forgot about it" said May.

Everyone except Will and Ember facepalmed.

"Anyways, we were wondering whether we could join you in your travels May," Ember said

" Sure, of course." was the reply.

"Alright, this is cool and all, but I wanna have a battle with Will!" shouted Ash.

"Oh well, if you insist. I could use some practise before challenging Roxanne," replied Will coolly.

Again, Brock was the referee.

"What do you say to a 3 on 3 battle?" asked Will

"Sure! Me and Pikachu are gonna win this!" replied Ash, a tad overconfidently.

"This will be a 3 on 3 Pokemon Battle between Will and Ash. The battle ends when all 3 Pokemon from either side are unable to battle!" stated Brock.

"Alright, Pikachu, you're up" shouted Ash

" Show them your power Shroomish!"

The mushroom-like Pokemon emerged from Will's crystal.

"Cool, I wonder what that Pokemon is!" wondered Ash. He checked his Pokedex.

Shroomish live in damp soil in the dark depths of forests. They are often found keeping still under fallen leaves. This Pokémon feeds on compost that is made up of fallen, rotted leaves. If Shroomish senses danger, it shakes its body and scatters spores from the top of its head. This Pokémon's spores are so toxic, they make trees and weeds wilt.

"So… Shroomish huh?" Ash said out loud.

"Doesn't matter, Me and Pikachu are gonna beat it!"

3rd Person P.O.V

"Can we start the battle now?"

" Alright! Pikachu use Thunderbolt!"

"Dodge and activate Quick Feet."

"What's Quick Feet? It doesn't matter anyways. Pikachu, try Quick Attack!"

"Wait for it… Wait for it… NOW! Use Absorb!" Will told Shroomish

He had timed it perfectly. Pikachu was hit.

"Now, finish it with Headbutt!"

Shroomish rammed it's head into Pikachu, who immediately fainted.

"Pikachu was taken out in two hits!" May said in a tone of disbelief.

It shouldn't have been possible.

It couldn't have been possible

But it happened

"That's only a fraction of what he can really do," stated Ember, remembering how her family Torkoal, who had gone on a journey with her father had been so easily beaten by his Gabite.

"Pikachu, you did great buddy. Now take a good rest."

"Alright. Treecko! Go !"

The grass type was sent out, but looked smaller than the one Ember owned.

"Good job Shroomish. Let's wrap this up. Use Stun Spore, then Headbutt."

Both attacks hit Treecko head on. The Stun Spore had no effect, but it confused both Trainer and Pokemon, as neither could see through the orange mist. The Headbutt rammed into Treecko, and again, and again. Treecko, inevitably, fainted.

"Grrr… I can't win like this. Go! Tailow!" shouted Ash

"Tailow! use Gust!" The attack connected. Shroomish was hurt. It staggered

"Now's our chance! Use Wing Attack!"

Tailow spread it's wings and took off, hurtling straight towards Shroomish. The attack hit.

Shroomish stumbled.

It nearly fell over, but managed to stay up. It started glowing. An Everstone fell off Shroomish

"Finally, I knew you were close to evolving." Will said in a somewhat thrilled tone. He picked up the Everstone

"Breloom!" The pokemon said

"What! Shroomish evolved into Breloom?"

" Ash, Breloom is part Fighting Type. Try using Tailow's Flying Type attacks" Brock advised.

"Sadly, that won't work. Me and Shroomish have prepared for when he evolved." Will said coldly.

"It doesn't matter, Tailow can win!" Ash replied

"Tailow, use Wing Attack!"

"Take the attack, Breloom."

"Why is he letting Tailow hit it?" asked Max.

Tailow collided with Breloom. Breloom looked on the verge of fainting.

"Now! Use Counter!"

Breloom used it's last burst of energy to deliver an attack that dealt double the damage that Tailow did to it.

Tailow fainted.

Breloom fell, but managed to get up with much exertion.

"Good job Breloom. Return."

Breloom returned in a flash of blue to the crystal.

"All three Pokemon of Ash are unable to battle. Will wins!"

"Thanks Will, that was a good battle. Clearly me and my Pokemon need to train more," Ash told him.

"Clearly," was Will's reply.

They all went back to the Pokemon Center,and healed their Pokemon. Will declined to do so. When asked for an explanation, he told them about his Aura Crystal and it's powers, one of them being instantly healing all of his Pokemon.

" I was thinking about challenging the Petalburg Gym guys!" said Ash confidently.

"So was I. We can do so after Ember's contest," replied Will.

CONTEST HALL ½ AN HOUR LATER.

EMBER P.O.V

I am really nervous. What if I don't make it? I have been training with Will for a week now, but I'm still getting cold feet. I can see all my friends in the stands cheering for me. It means so much to me that they are all here. I can't let them down now.

It's time for the qualifying rounds. My name is announced. The stage is set. The judges are ready. It's time to roll.

I throw out two Pokeballs, for Mudkip and Torchic.

"Mudkip, Torchic,[Insert Battle Phrase]!"

Both my trusty Pokemon appeared on the field, glowing with their respective auras. I hear the audience gasping. I trained them on how to automatically activate Blaze and Torrent. Another reason to thank my training.

"Torchic use Ember, and Mudkip, follow up with Water Gun!"

The attacks collide with a flash, and they circle one another, with the beauty of two contrasting types dancing with one another in a flurry of water and fire, with them intertwining and exploding, and the whole stadium filling with sparkles.

I hold my breath as I hear what the judges have to say.

Mr Contesta: An astounding work of art between two contrasting types!

Mr Sukizo: Remarkable! Simply remarkable(LOL! He ALWAYS SAYS THAT)

Nurse Joy: An amazing performance showcasing the bond between trainer and Pokemon.

I wait patiently in the room for the results. The adrenaline is high in my body. FINALLY I SEE THE BOARD. Yes! I made it to the Second Round!

I fight my way through all my opponents with ease.

And I reach the finals. May does too and so do a bunch of other trainers including the guy from the beach, Drew. I couldn't wait to battle him!

I stepped out. First round was against a guy named Joe with his Surskit. I crushed him easily.

Finally, it reached the final two contestants.

It was me against Drew. May had lost against Drew in the Semifinals.

"Go! Roselia!"

"I know it's a long shot, but Eevee! Go!"

Eevee appeared in front of me. I hope my training paid off.

" Evolve! Now!"

There were many murmurs in the crowd. Strangely enough, Eevee started to glow with a white light. In Eevee's place now stood the cutest Espeon ever!

"Let's go Espeon! Use Psychic!"

It was a direct hit. Roselia immediately fainted.

The crowd clapped and cheered for me

I was presented the Petalburg Ribbon by Mr Contesta.

"How did you beat me so easily?" asked a tearful Drew.

"My Eevee can alternate between it's evolutions at will; I just realised that Espeon's moveset would be super effective against your Roselia," I replied politely, not wanting to tell him how bad he was at Contests.

"EMBER! You did so well!" May exclaimed

I thanked her and we waited for the others. Max, Brock and Ash both congratulated me earnestly. Will just stood there, watching bemusedly.

"You did well; your training has definitely paid off…" was his response.

Typical Will. Always calm and collected, no matter what.

3rd Person P.O.V

The Gang, which now included Ember and Will now set off to Rustboro. Ash kept nagging Will for another battle, but Will pointedly refused. When they reached Petalburg Woods, they decided to camp there for the night. At exactly midnight, one person left their tent. Ash suddenly awoke in the night and found Will missing. He went outside, and he could hear faint noises coming from the forest. He crept there and he was in awe at what he saw.

It was Will. Training his Pokemon.

He could see them . 8 in total .A shark like monster taller than Ash, Breloom ; the Pokemon he had battled the other day, A TYRANITAR which he was, quite frankly, scared of. There was also a reddish-orange bird flying about, along with Will's 'starter',Metagross. A Spherical-like Pokemon with two short stubby legs was also training. Alongside Will was a Blue and Black Pokemon holding some kind of blue energy. Finally, Ash could also see a Green Pokemon with two blade-like hands.

"Ah, so it's you Ash," said Will.

Ash did not know how he could have been seen under the bush, but he came out anyways.

"Meet my Pokemon," said Will.

"In case you're wondering, I'll tell you their names. My Pokemon are as follows: Garchomp,(He just evolved from the Gabite Ember was telling you about, along with Metang and Pupitar) Metagross, Tyranitar, Shelgon, Breloom, Fletchinder, Gallade and Lucario.

Ash wanted to battle them all.

"Can I have a battle now?" he pleaded.

"ANOTHER one? Fine…if you want to get taken down again, then by all means," Will replied. "Alright, let's do this."

"Fletchinder, you're up."

"Pikachu, let's go buddy!"

" Use flame charge"

"Quick Attack, now!"

" Take evasive action, but hold the Flame Charge."

Said fire attack collided with Pikachu. It did some damage.

"Now, use Agility and Double Team together"

Fletchinder ran circles around Pikachu.

"Pikachu's faster than that! Use Quick Attack again!"

"You still haven't changed your strategy… Pitiful."

"Hey!"

" Let's end this. Fletchinder, use Aerial Ace. Power it up with Gale Wings."

It hit, immediately knocking out Pikachu, without even going at full power.

"Wait what?! What's Gale Wings?

"An ability that gives Flying Types priority. When Fletchinder evolves, this ability will be even more useful, particularly with one move."

" It doesn't matter. We're gonna win!" was Ash's confident response.

"Shall we continue?"

"Yeah! We'll battle in the air! Tailow! I choose you!"

A small bird came out of the Pokeball.

"Alright Tailow! In the Air! Use Wing Attack on Fletchinder, now!"

"Aerial Ace, full power!"

The attack, as usual, hit Tailow dead on and Tailow immediately fainted.

"That's enough. Stop hurting your Pokemon further. This is pointless," Will said coldly.

They both went back to their respective tents and slept.

The next morning, the whole gang woke up.

"Ember, I think we have overstayed our welcome here. I think we should leave," told Will.

Ember's P.O.V

It was time to leave. I knew I needed some serious training, and this isn't May's fault, but I think she is slowing me down. We say our goodbyes and then venture on further into the forest, but not before promising to meet up with them at Fortree.

"Gallade, use Teleport."

We arrived at Rustboro with a flash.

"Finally. Rustboro city. Now, Ember, let me give you a brief summary of the area. If you go straight and take a right, you will reach the route near Rusturf Tunnel. If you choose to go there, you can capture higher-leveled Wurmple, Skitty(which are popular in contests) and Nincada. Now, I would suggest getting all three, but Nincada in particular, as they evolve into Shedinja and Ninjask, both of which are very useful in their own right," Will told me.

" In the mean time, I'm going to the Gym here. I want to beat Roxanne as fast as possible."

Rustboro Gym- 5 minutes later.

Will's P.O.V

I have sucessfully beaten all the Gym trainers with ease. Is this really the standard of the Hoenn Gyms?

""Hello, I am Roxanne, the Rustboro Pokemon Gym Leader. I became a Gym Leader so that I may apply what I learned at the Pokemon Trainer School in battle. Would you kindly demonstrate how you battle, and with which Pokemon?"

Finally. The Leader.

"My name is Will, and I hope that you can give me a satisfactory battle. But, before that, I'd like to make a wager with you. If I win, I have access to Granite Cave's restricted areas. I want a Nosepass as well. If I lose, well I won't be allowed a rematch with you, ever. And that means I won't be able to compete in the League."

"Agreed, trainer," was her reply.

And so it began.

I chose a pokemon. Tyranitar would be helping me defeat this gym today. With a smile, I sent him out, just as Roxanne was sending out… Geodude. I almost laughed. Almost.

"Tyranitar, use Earthquake."

"Geodude, use Defence Curl."

The geodude seemed to be curling itself up. Even with the defence stat rise, Earthquake quickly demolished it's health.

I proceeded to do the same to the rest of her team.

Pathetic.

"I don't believe it... Well, as promised, you may have the Stone Badge, and permission to access Granite Cave's Lower Chambers. From me is the TM Rock Tomb. Use it wisely.

Rock Tomb. This could be useful for Breloom.

I nod and stowed the TM away in my bag.

I exit said Gym.

3rd Person P.O.V.

A Braviary flew over Rustboro city. There was a boy riding it, and looking down at the ground, slipping on an aviators helmet and pointing towards the gym, shouting an order. The eagle responded, diving down at full speed. The wind whipped at the boy's cloak, and it billowed out behind him like a cape. His scarf was wrapped tightly around his neck, and it flew out behind him. He reached out a hand to catch it, and wrapped it again around his neck.

He landed in front of the Rustboro gym, and heard sounds of battle from inside. The Braviary gracefully hopped to a stop, allowing the rider to get off. He patted the Braviary on the head, and returned it to it's pokeball. It was too big to walk alongside him in the bustling Rustboro, but it would soon be back out of the pokeball when back in Dewford.

The boy decided to wait: he could, as he had plenty of time. Meanwhile, he would beat a few trainers and find lunch. There was no shortage of overconfident easy fodder on the route that leads to Rustboro, and soon he had some pokédollars to buy himself a nice, steaming meal of noodles, which he at outside the gym.

His name was Vern. He had came to visit Roxanne, having beaten the gym leader about a month ago. He lived by himself in a secret base in Dewford, and events at home in Fortree has kept him from defeating Brawly. He had decided to revisit Rustboro and rebattle Roxanne, as the match last time was fun, very much so. They had befriended each other, and Roxanne had invited him back for a rematch.

He looked through the transparent glass door. Inside there was a trainer obviously with great experience, and he looked powerful. Vern mused that the trainer might be able to defeat him in battle, but that was soon to be found out whether that was the case. He would ask for a battle later.

He settled down, and waited for the battle's results. it was a bright and sunny day, and he had decided to enjoy it. He ate his lunch, and sat down on a bench.

After a while, he got back up and looked back through the glass door. The trainer was putting a badge into his case. Vern saw him turn and walk away, with his Tyranitar behind him.

Suddenly, he stopped and seemed to be giving an order. After a blue flash of light, he disappeared.

Vern tossed up a pokeball, and a Braviary came out. Giving an order, he rose up into the sky and flew towards Dewford.

Will's P.O.V

I sensed someone outside, watching me intently, but I ignored it. I already have enough fans.

I used the Psychic power of teleportation that I had perfected with Gallade, and teleported to the Route East of Rustboro, where I found Ember catching a Skitty.

"Hello Ember," I said politely.

"Hi Will! I've already caught a Wurmple and evolved it into Beautifly! I'm catching a Skitty right now!"

Interesting. She has already evolved her Wurmple. In only 10 minutes. I evolved mine in 8. Not bad for a new trainer.

While she was saying all this, she threw her Pokeball, and captured Skitty.

"Good, now we can proceed. However we need to stay one more minute."

I closed my eyes and felt the presences of the Pokemon around me in the tall grass. I sensed a Nincada directly to my left.

Garchomp, use False Swipe directly to my left. Garchomp came out of my crystal, and proceeded to follow my orders. Nincada jumped out, but you could see it was close to fainting. Perfect.

"Command Theta!" I intoned in a clear voice

The crystal flashed purple, red, then blue, and the Pokemon went inside the crystal. My Crystal started to shake. Once, Twice, Thrice, and it stopped. Nincada was caught. In precisely a minute. Better than last time I caught a Pokemon.

"Whoa! That was some great catching Will!" exclaimed Ember.

"Shall we leave now?" I asked her.

"Sure," was her reply.

My eyes flashed blue, and with a flash, we were gone.

"We've reached," I said.

"Welcome to Dewford Town," I told Ember.


	2. Chapter 2: Vern's Debut

AN: Hey Guys, it's me again. I'm back with another chapter. And I'm not gonna make any more until I get some REVIEWS. And, PLEASE, no FLAMES on my Grammar ,thanks. I know a little bit about what I'm doing, alright? Thanks for your support, and ENJOY :)

Third Person P.O.V

Both Will and Ember looked around. Dewford town was a quaint town.

"Just to give you an idea, in Dewford there are only a few places worth visiting. You can go to Granite Cave, where you can catch Abra, Zubat,Aron,Geodude and Makuhita, or you can go to the Contest Hall and register for the Contest in Slateport, which is tomorrow."

"I think I'll go to the Pokemon Centre to heal up my team first!" said Ember.

"I'll meet you here in about an hour," replied Will.

Will's P.O.V

I decided to go to Granite Cave. On the way, I battled two fishermen who only had Magikarp. What is the use of a pathetic Pokemon when you don't evolve it into something so much better?

I entered the cave. I wanted to catch Nosepass, so I used my Nincada to swiftly catch it in about 2 minutes. Not bad.

Then, I sensed someone else there. He was in the lowest chamber, which I now had access to. I went down. Then, I saw him. It was Steven. THE Steven. Champion Steven.

"Hello Will. Don't be surprised that I know who you are; your reputation preceeds you. I suppose you are here to catch Nosepass, the Pokemon that resides here?" he said

"That was my original intention, yes. But since you're here, my plan has changed. Do you mind if we have a battle?" I asked him.

"Of course not." was his reply

"Does 3 on 3 sound good?" I questioned.

"Yes, of course," was his response.

I picked through my pokemon, choosing the three that would help me win this battle. I decided to open with Fletchinder, as he had helped me thrash Ash and was a solid pokemon. With a flash, Fletchinder flew out from my Aura Crystal and looked ready to begin.

Steven looked him over, but instead of going for a type advantage as I had expected him to, he opened with Skarmory.

I chuckled. Perhaps this champion wasn't as good as people make him out to be. I decided to use the same combo I had used against Ash.

"Fletchinder, Flame Charge!"

"Skarmory, Stealth Rock!"

I watched Fletchinder slam into Skarmory, dealing some solid damage with the power of the move and the type advantage. However, the metal bird seemed hardly fazed at all and scattered some pointy-looking rocks around my team. I didn't feel impressed, and decided to continue the battle. My pokemon weren't weak to Stealth Rock, and the hazard damage was minimal. I waited for Steven to order.

"Skarmory, lay down some spikes. As many as you can manage.".

"Fletchinder, use Heat Wave! Don't let up!". I ordered. I wanted to take down Skarmory quickly, before he can add up those hazards.

Fletchinder's wave of flame washes over Skarmory. The bird seemed to be hurt badly, but manages to hang on. After some spikes are scattered around my team's ground, the burn finished him off.

"Impressive. Not many trainers can take down my first Pokemon," Steven said

"Good Job, Fletchinder." I patted the bird on the head. He had performed well.

And then Steven sent out his next pokemon. "Go, Metagross.".

I was slightly surprised. I was not very confident, but not enough to lose control. I began calculating how to take down that armored titan, Steven's most powerful pokemon.

"Metagross, show him your strength.". Steven smiled. I did not like how he didn't even order the metagross to do anything. He had obviously been through many battles with the steel type. Not knowing what he was planning, I decided to go for evasion.

"Fletchinder, use Flame Charge. If he tries to attack, go into agility and double team.".

It was the same combo I had used against Ash's Pikachu. I watched Fletchinder blast into Metagross full speed. The armored titan simply took it without flinching at all, and swung forward his arm, which was covered with a cosmic like energy. Fletchinder tried to dodge, but the beast was fast for it's size and the blow connected. Dazed, Fletchinder flew around a bit before losing balance and landing on the ground in a faint.

I winced;my facade broke for a didn't see.

"Go, Shelgon.". My trusty Shelgon sprang out from the crystal. It eyed the Metagross with suspicion. I saw it wince as the pointed stones and spikes dug into him.

"Shelgon, use Flamethrower. Keep at it.".

I saw Shelgon breathe out a stream of fire. It washed over Metagross, and the steel type didn't even blink. He simply walked forward and swung his arm again, slamming it into Shelgon and cutting the stream of fire short as Shelgon toppled. But he wasn't down, not yet. Suddenly Shelgon began to glow.

The outer shell fell away. A Salamence roared as he emerged from the cocoon in which he had grown. Finally. Shelgon has evolved.

"Salamence. Use Fireblast, and follow up with Earthquake!". I was confident. With this powerful dragon at my command, the battle is mine.

"Metagross. You know what to do.". Steven again refused to give an order.

My Salamence roared. A molten stream of fire flew out from it's mouth, slamming into the Metagross for what seemed like extreme damage. The metal was charred by the blast. But Salamence was not done. He stomped down, and the cave shook as the very earth headed his command. Metagross again took the hit without flinching, at all. Then, he began to glow. A purple sphere of energy formed around it, and something similar shone out from Steven's bracelet. The sphere burst, and a monster stared me in the eye. It was massive. The claws Metagross had had been sharpened into blade-like talons, and a spike was protruding from Metagross's chin. The giant's claw charged up what seemed like ice type energy, and slammed into my Salamence. Salamence roared with pain, and collapsed.

I was stunned. My dragon had been taken down in one hit.

But the fight was not yet over. I still had my last pokemon.

"Go, Breloom.".

My Breloom jumped out from my crystal. He eyed the metagross.

"Metagross, finish this.". Steven ordered. I found it hard to believe he was so calm when his ace pokemon has taken a severe pummeling, but now I was starting to see why he was the champion.

"Breloom, use Spore. When he falls asleep, use leech seed. Follow it up with some mach punches.".

I watched Breloom scatter green spores from his hand. They drifted towards Metagross, who eyed them curiously. Then, the giant sprang into action. Rushing forward at speeds that was hard to imagine for something so monstrous, he burst through the spore cloud. I was surprised, but hid it well. The spores would take effect, and all will be fine. But something was wrong. Metagross's eyes were already closed. He was asleep already.

I watched, as the giant's sleeping body still flew forward, and slammed into Breloom at full force. I saw it almost in slow motion. He toppled, and fell.

My Breloom fainted.

Steven left the chamber.

I had lost.

**This was a dream. It had to be. I can't have lost. This is impossible. No… This cannot be. The whole point was to prove to my father that I'm better. My dream… gone.**

3rd Person P.O.V

Tears ran down Will's face. It was over. Nothing he could do about it.

He sat down on the floor and thought. Something he was good at. He had an epiphany. For two years, he had been training, but he hadn't made a specific team to counter the Champion. He was going to win. But, with a smile he remembered that he hadn't used any of his strong Pokemon. No one knew his true power. Not even the Champion. It was time. Time to claim his legacy. He made a decision. He would accompany Ember as far as Slateport, and then start training on his own. He would meet up again with her at Petalburg. He went out of the cave, but before that, he put his emotionless facade on. No one could know the turmoil within him. He saw Ember waiting outside the Pokemon Center.

"Hi Will!" she exclaimed.

"Ember," he replied politely.

"Let's stay the night at the Pokemon Centre, alright?" said Will.

They went inside and booked two rooms.

Vern's P.O.V.

Braviary swooped down and landed just as the trainer I saw earlier entered the Pokemon Centre. I didn't follow, simply walking into the cave. I could see signs of battle there, as well as an imprint that was undoubtedly made by something large and heavy. There was nothing to see. Just some charred marks on the floor and some damage done. I walked out.

The trainer is interesting. I do not know him, but somehow I think he already knows me. That is yet to be seen, but I am looking forward to meeting this trainer a lot more than I first expected.

"It is dark. Absol, guide me". Absol sprang from a pokeball, and looked up at me with what I would call a slight smile. She lead the way, and I followed. Braviary would get there by himself. He preferred it that way.

Absol lead me to my home. It was what normal people call a "Secret Base". I call it home. It's quite comfortable in there, and I have everything I need, even a bed. I quickly let all my pokemon out of their pokeballs. They liked it in there, but preferred it out here. Soon, all my pokemon: A Swablu, a Bisharp, a Serperior, and a Zoroark. Braviary came squeezing through the door, which was designed to fit a human, not a bird that has a wingspan of two meters or so.

I sat down and ate dinner. Noodles again. A routine is good, it helps bring some element of reliability to your life. I fed my pokemon some berries, and went to bed, with a full stomach. For a kid living alone, I don't do badly.

It was late night when I awoke. My Absol was tapping me on my shoulder.

"Absol? What?" I asked, still groggy from sleep.

Absol ran towards the door and back again. "A walk?" I ask. She nods. I comply, waking Braviary, Zoroark, Serperior, Bisharp, and Swablu. They were sleeping sound, but seemed excited to come with me.

We squeezed out of the secret base and into the darkness.

"Absol, guide us.". I commanded. Absol obliged, and we followed her through the darkness. She lead me to the cave I had visited this evening. I was curious. There were sounds of training inside.

I ran in front of my pokemon, who had no trouble keeping up with me. I arrived at the entrance, and looked in. I saw the trainer I had followed here. He was training with a Garchomp, a Metagross, a Salamence, Breloom,Fletchinder,Lucario,Gallade and what seemed like… the legendary Eon duo.

What. The...

I breathed in, and out. Then, I stepped in and sat down on a rock, watching him train his pokemon.

"I know you're there," said Will. "I sensed you outside the cave."

I laughed. "You have aura powers?" I asked.

"Aura Powers along with Psychic ones. They alert me to any eavesdroppers. That includes one such person who is standing right in front of me."

I chuckle. "Well, they aren't very accurate. For one, I'm sitting." I say. I refrain from mentioning the Eon duo, despite curiosity trying to get it's way.

"Well, at least you are smart enough to question my Pokemon. Don't try to deny it. You are as curious about my Eon Duo as I am about who you are."

I smile again. "I'm not going to. Why should I deny the truth? After all, curiosity brought me here and is keeping me here."

"Did it ever occur to you that curiosity killed the cat?" Will asked.

"I'm not a cat." I reply. "and curiosity is a virtue."

"That would depend on the context," was his reply. "Now GET OUT!" showcasing a rare display of emotion. Will did not want anyone witnessing him in this weakened state. But it was too late. The damage had been done.

I smile, and decided to leave him on his own and allow him to calm down. I get up and walk out the cave, and sit down on the sand just outside. I could wait.

Five minutes later I feel myself moving against my will. I was pulled to the cave with some sort of blue energy. Telekinesis. I smiled. He obviously wanted me back in, and I stopped resisting and obliged. I was only partly correct. It wasn't him that wanted me. I had a pressing appointment with the Eon Duo.

Will was being shouted at by Latias. Since I wasn't psychic, I couldn't hear what was going on.

Latios stood in front of me. I petted him, since he seemed comfortable enough in my presence.

_Vern. You have come a long way from the 8 year old boy I used to see in the skies. I remember you._

I watched Latios closely. It felt strangely normal having someone talk to me in my head. I decided to reply out loud, as I was not sure they could hear me if I just thought.

"Wait… you remember me? What?" I say. I feel strangely honored, but at the same time suspicious.

_You are right to be suspicious Vern, son of Winona. As am I. To be honest, and I will be honest with you, I am not a compassionate Pokemon, despite the way the myths portray me as one. I couldn't care less whether you talk to my master or travel with him, but Latias thinks that you could help him. However, I give you this warning once, and only once. If you even THINK of harming my master, you will have TWO legends to deal with. And I also tell you this. I am more than capable of crushing you. But, you should feel honored. Latias has branded you friend of the Legends, and I will go along with her scheme. Do not disappoint us._

I feel surprised and a little shocked. "Whoa, you know a lot about me." I say. "I'm not going to harm him, do not worry.". I feel somewhat unnerved at the fact that the pokemon has just stated he could crush me. I know this is probably true, but the fact that he knows it and is not afraid to flaunt it in my face is unsettling.

"Did Latios give you the 'I am all powerful' speech yet?" asked a bemused Will who was watching all the while.

"Don't worry. He's actually a softie on the inside. He's just so serious sometimes. Latias keeps telling me he needs to mellow out a little."

_Hey! I take offense to that!_ was Latios's response.

"Come here ya big brute," was Will's comment.

Latios floated up to him and nuzzled him a little.

"But seriously, do not cross them. Latios wasn't kidding when he said he could crush you."

I smile. "You're really close to them, huh?" I ask. "If you don't mind me asking, where did you… befriend them?". I didn't use the word "catch", because some pokemon find that word offensive.

"I am sorry, but telling you that could mean that 'certain beings' might smite me, and I prefer being alive, thank you very much."

At exactly that second, a loud flash could be heard from the skies.

"Jeez Rayquaza, Latios isn't the only one who needs to mellow out a bit. Just SHUT UP for once! You're just jealous that Arceus didn't let you join me. Whoops! TMI!TMI!"

A black and white ray of what looked like a super powerful move, nearly hit Will and he had to barrel roll out of the way.

"Sorry! Sorry! Have mercy on me, Arceus! Please don't kill me! I'm just a lowly human, who should grovel at your feet"

Exactly one second after he said this, a huge sound that sounded suspiciously like laughter echoed across the skies.

"Oh Wow! Real funny Arceus!"

"Okay…" I tried to hold back laughter at the scene that transpired. I had taken a liking to this trainer called Will. "Seeing that you have angered Lord Arceus, perhaps we should mellow this conversation a bit and switch to some less… touchy subjects.".

"Nah… Me and Arceus are like bros. We're like… real tight. Deal with it bro.".

I was taken aback. "You get comfortable with people really fast, huh." I say. "I'm afraid I do not feel like I know you just yet."

His eyes became cold once again. "I have known Arceus for 8 years of my life. I would advise you to not comment on topics you barely any knowledge of. Some people interpret that as something… Oh how should I put this in a way that won't offend you… much. I believe the appropriate response to your statement would be to MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS."

Then, the smiling mask was put in place again, and it was like there were two different people there altogether, along with me.

I was unsettled. I turned around, and beckoned for my pokemon to come in. They did, with Absol leading the way and Braviary coming in last. I decided that I needed to get to know this trainer. And what better way to do that than a battle? I turn back to him

"Don't ask me, I already know. You want a battle. Well, who am I to refuse. How about a 5 on 5?" He asked.

"You're on." I smile. The battle began.

3rd Person P.O.V

"Fletchinder , may the Aura guide you!" Will shouted, as he called on Fletchinder to appear.

Fletchinder appeared with a flash.

"Swablu, may the… um… the... never mind, just go." Vern said. He had originally wanted to make it sound cool, but decided it wasn't worth the trouble.

A Swablu appeared in a bright flash of light as the flying duck sprang from it's pokeball.

"Flame Charge." Will ordered.

"Swablu! Use Cotton Guard and follow up with Dragon Pulse!" Vern shouted. This technique was a staple for his Swablu, who knew it well.

Fletchinder blazes into Swablu, who staggers and takes the hit. Suddenly, she seems to grow, as cotton expands around her and encases him in a soft wall that deters physical attacks. The Swablu then releases Dragon Pulse, hitting Fletchinder full on.

"Aerial Ace, Fletchinder."

"_Mirror Move."_

"Steel Wing" Will ordered, with full confidence.

Swablu is hit by Aerial Ace, but before Fletchinder could react, a mirror forms and the same attack suddenly flies back out at it and grazes him, causing the fire bird to wince. Not yet beaten, Fletchinder covers one of his wings with steel energy, and flies forward and slashes Swablu with it. Swablu takes it with it's heightened defences, but looks somewhat bruised.

"Aerial Ace, but rely on your Gale Wings for priority"

"Swablu, you can take the Aerial Ace. Use cotton gua-"

He was cut off by Will

"Aerial Ace again! Use Gale Wings for another priority."

"Fair enough, Roost."

Both Pokemon were panting now, and even with the added recovery roost provided, Swablu was beginning to tire. Fletchinder had hit it many times with Aerial Ace, and Roost just wasn't enough to heal her fully just yet.

Both Pokemon started glowing. Fletchinder evolved first. His body grew and grew, and wings that were once small began to expand.

" Good… This has taken almost too long to happen. Finally…" was Will's response to the events taking was a fire in Will's eyes. " You have claimed your birthright. Take flight, Talonflame!"

Swablu too was glowing. Her body elongated, and a neck was growing. Soon, the stubby wings that had once been a burden more than a help were becoming majestic instead of simply "cute". An Altaria evolved from the glow.

"Altaria…" Vern smiled. "Mother would like this wouldn't she? Are you ready?"

It was time.

"Talonflame, Brave Bird, with Gale Wings to help you. DON'T GIVE UP! Till the end."

"Altaria, you know what to do. Just… do as you've been taught. This is gonna be epic."

"Now!" they both shouted in unison, as the two birds encircled each other.

Talonflame was encased in a light blue aura, and started glowing and with a screech, he flew forward, at lightning speed. He was like a god. Moltres himself would envy him. Altaria saw him coming. She did not flinch at all. Releasing Dragon Pulse, she circled it around herself, and released cotton guard. A swirling tornado of cotton spores and dragon energy circled Altaria. Talonflame blazed forward, slamming through the protective wall and smashing into Altaria. There was a screech of pain, and a blinding white light was all that could be seen for a while. When it died down, both pokemon were on the ground, fainted.

"You have potential, no doubt about it. Let's continue this battle. I won't rest until we finish this. Well done Talonflame. You have fulfilled your duty. You have served me with honor. Return and rest." Will said to his Talonflame, which was tucked safely inside his pokeball.

Vern withdrew Altaria, patting the pokeball. "Well done, buddy. You would do mother proud.". He looks back up at Will, and smiles. "My mother taught me that maneuver. Ready?"

"Very well, let's do our best. We both send out our Pokemon at the count of…1,2,3!" Will shouted.

"Go, Serperior! Get ready for battle!" Vern's grass snake sprang out from the pokeball, eyes gazing at Will with confidence.

"Lucario, Battle Stance." Will's Lucario sprang out from the aura crystal, and stood facing Serperior.

"Use Extremespeed."

"Leaf Storm!"

Lucario was covered in a white aura of power, and he darted across the cave, slamming into Serperior, but he was hit by a close range storm of leaves. Lucario took the brunt of the attack, which was already insanely strong close-range attack. Serperior was still damaged somewhat, though.

"Use Dragon Pulse!" Will ordered Lucario.

"Leaf Tornado!" Vern yelled, watching Serperior unleash his signature attack.

Lucario readied his hands, forming the iconic position of drawing his hands back and balancing himself with his feet. A ball of dragon energy charged up in his palm, which he prepared to shoot at the Serperior. Serperior responded by whipping up the leaves already lying around on the ground after Leaf Storm into a fearsome tornado, obscuring the Lucario's vision. Lucario had released the pulse already, and had guided it to it's target by his ability to detect aura, giving him a perfect pinpoint on Serperior's position. Serperior took the brunt of the attack, getting knocked back, and watched as the tornado of leaves pelted the Lucario from left to right.

"Lucario, use Ice Punch,"

"Glare and Frenzy Plant!" Vern smiled as he ordered. This was a powerful combo, and stopped physical attackers like Will's Lucario in their tracks and pelted them until they went down.

Lucario charged his fist up with ice energy, and rushed forward to take down Serperior once and for all. Unperturbed, Serperior rose up and glared threateningly at Lucario, freezing it in it's tracks. Lucario tried to move forward, but was immobilized by the paralysis, and took the attack, and collapsed under the onslaught of vines, leaves, grass, and energy that swirled around him. Collapsing on the ground, he fainted.

"Lucario! Come back now! That performance was absolutely pathetic. It's obvious you need more training. Return for now…."

"My, you're a nice person... I sure hope you don't treat all your pokemon like that… blech." Vern wasn't impressed with the way this trainer was treating his pokemon, but simply took it as a weird personality quirk.

" I would advise you to not question my methods. I'm simply… motivating Lucario to become stronger. He knows that if I really thought he was pathetic I would have released him by now. At least he realises that he needs to do better."

"Mhm..." Vern said, not entirely convinced, but allowing it to pass.

"We shall. Salamence, the stage is yours for the taking. Show them the true power of a dragon."

"Use Flamethrower. Continuously."

"Serperior, substitute and take the flamethrower. Hit back with dragon pulse."

A wave of flame washed over Serperior. Amid the blast, the Serperior fainted. However, when the flames cleared up, Serperior was alive and whole, and released a stream of dragon energy, blasting Salamence for extra damage. Salamence winced but did not falter: the battle would be over soon.

"_Serperior, Dragon Pulse again."_

"**Flamethrower. Use that speed you gained through evolution."**

Waves of flames washed over Serperior. It looked like it hurt, and the dragon pulse disappeared amidst the flames. When the flames cleared up, Salamence seemed fine: the dragon pulse had gone wide and only scratched him. Serperior was another story.

A cold smile appeared on Will's face.

"You see… Your loss is inevitable. I thought you could actually challenge me. Perhaps I was wrong." Will said, with contempt.

"You know, knocking out one of my pokemon after I knocked out one of yours doesn't constitute a win." Vern said, smiling slightly beside himself at the other trainer's ego. "I'm beginning to like your way of talking less and less."

A Bisharp stood, with it's armor gleaming, even in the stygian darkness of the cave at midnight.

And so the battle continued. The rest was uninteresting and strangely savage, but the night was ending, and both trainer's pokemon had fallen. Vern was left with his Braviary, and Will with Gallade and Metagross.

"Braviary, good luck. You can do this, I've trained you well."

"This battle has been an interesting one, but it's the end of the road here. Gallade, battle stance!"

"Brave Bird!"

"Stop that overgrown bird in midair with Psychic."

Braviary was tossed around with Psychic energy like a beachball, before it could attack.

"Evasive maneuver and Brave Bird, Now!"

"Be watchful, Gallade. We do not know what he is planning"

Braviary rammed into one of the walls of the cave, ridding itself of the Psychic. It then used Protect, and flew towards Gallade. Before Will could say anything, Gallade was covered with blue energy, and there was sounds of blows exchanged. When it subsided, Gallade had fainted on the ground.

"You have met your match Gallade. How sickening. You couldn't stand a chance against Braviary. Although, you were adequate when performing your move. Rest now."

"I commend you for getting this far, but you have to realize that I have not been using my strongest team at all, not to mention the fact that I have not used the Eon Duo. But, you have proved yourself worthy enough. It is time. Metagross, my faithful starter, battle stance!"

Braviary was a tough Pokemon. Braviary was a brave Pokemon. The titan did not terrify him, but there was enough steel and cold metal to unnerve him slightly. However, Braviary shook off the unease and was ready for battle. Will sensed his emotions. His original plan hadn't worked, but it would, eventually.

"Use Iron Head sequence B." Will ordered.

"Fair enough. A close-quarters battle it is." Vern ordered, knowing Braviary was proficient at close quarters combat.

Metagross charged, demonstrating remarkable speed for the armored titan. It slammed into Braviary head-first, but Braviary took the hit without flinching and hit back with a flurry of blows that dented metal. Metagross did not let up. Over and over they collided, and soon they both showed strains of tiring.

Vern watched as both pokemon weakened. "Braviary, finish this. Brave bird, Crush Claw!"

Will watched as well. He wasn't surprised at all, it had been planned. Time for the knockout punch. "Thunderpunch and Meteor Mash."

Braviary charged up himself yet again, and smashed straight into the center of Metagross's cross with a terrific flash. Metagross reeled from the impact, but calmed himself and struck back. Hard. The thunderpunch collided not with Braviary himself but with a taloned claw, which grabbed the hand and crushed it, damaging the metal slightly. Metagross roared, then raised his other hand and slammed it into Braviary's side. The recoil from Brave Bird and the damage the punch did was too much even for Braviary to handle, and he toppled and fell.

"I have won." Will smiled. "That was satisfactory."

"Satisfactory because you won." Vern smiles. "Well, that was pretty fun."

Both trainers decided to call it a night. They both exited the cave. Poor cave. The floor was charred from the battle with the Champion, and the battle with some of the greatest trainers of the new age.

The Next Morning at Breakfast in the Pokemon Centre

Ember and Will woke up in the morning, with Ember not knowing about Will's little night time excursion in Granite Cave.

"Will, are you going to challenge Brawly today?"

"I hope to do so," replied Will.

"I'm going fishing today! I want to get a Magikarp, and evolve it into Gyarados," she said, adding in the last part hastily; knowing how biased Will's views were on the area of evolution.

"A worthy aim, although it **may take some time.** Before you leave, I'd like you to meet my friend Vern. We met yesterday at Granite Cave."

"Hello Vern!" said Ember brightly

Vern inclined his head and nodded his greeting.

"Vern is a very accomplished trainer, and he actually made me think I had met my match!" Will told her. "He's going to travel with us until Slateport, and then we'll see what happens from there."

"I think I'll come with you." Vern said, nodding his head. "There's a pokemon I want in the area. It's name is Carvanha, evolves into Sharpedo."

"Sure you can come!" Ember says. "I'm sure we'll have a nice time." She turns to Will, waving goodbye, and runs across the beach to find a spot.

Will nods, sighing inwardly, before turning away, and with a quick nod of goodbye in Vern's direction. He headed for the gym. He also realised that he had an errand to run for Director Stone. He would do that once he reached Slateport

Vern's P.O.V.

I trotted down the beach, following Ember. She was introduced to me by Will, and seemed like a nice person. I looked behind me and saw Braviary flying around the beach, having fun by diving down and scaring the multitude of fish that swam there.

I skidded to a stop where Ember had sat down already, and had made herself comfortable. She had a rod, and it wasn't a pretty one. I resolved to get her one later. I then took out my one rod, which I had won in a battle with a seasoned fisherman. It was a beauty, and was very well made. I cast the line, and prepared myself for a long wait. Carvanha's are hard to come by, and when they do appear they are hard to catch.

I saw Ember twitching impatiently. Fishing takes patience, and patience was hard to come by. I suppress a chuckle and return to watching my rod's line intently, waiting for a bite.

"How long does it take for one of those to bite?" Ember asked, almost to herself. She was obviously impatient, and I decided to give her a quick lesson on fishing while we each waited on our respective fish.

"Fishing takes patience." I say. "The rods are built so that when the fish bites, the rod will shake, and you will know. So keep your hand on your rod at all times."

She nods, and quickly reaches for her rod, which had been left on the sand.

"When they do bite, there's usually a button." I tell her, pointing towards the big red button on my rod. "Press it, and the rod will reel in the fish. Then, you catch it with a pokeball the same way you would catch a normal pokemon.".

Ember nods, and suddenly jumps. I watched as she reeled in a Magikarp. I sighed, somewhat enviously. Magikarps are common, and they were easy to catch. My goal, Carvanha, was more like the opposite.

I saw Ember catch the Magikarp with a pokeball. She waves goodbye, and heads towards the gym to watch Will's battle. I decide to stay and wait for the Carvanha to bite. Gym battles were not that much fun to watch. Usually the challenger is utterly crushed, or the opposite happens. In Will's case, I suspected the latter.

Will's P.O.V.

The gym so far has been boring. The trainers didn't have powerful pokemon, and the lighting system was easily overcome. I'm getting disappointed with Hoenn's gyms, but I have yet to get to the fun ones, so I'll reserve judgment for now.

I stand before Brawly, and listen to him give his "challenger comes" speech.

"I'm Brawly! Dewford's Gym Leader! I've been churned in the rough waves of these parts... And I've grown tough using the cave at the outskirts of this town as my training ground, as well as using the equipment in this Gym. So you want to challenge me? Let me see what you're made of!"

I sigh inwardly. These gym leaders are worse than Ketchum.

"I'm willing to accept your challenge." I say.

I choose Garchomp to lead this battle.

He leads with Machop. Pathetic. A first evolution.

Garchomp comes out with it's usual blue flash.

"Whoa, that's one strong looking Pokemon bro," was the Gym Leader's comment.

"Enough talk. Let's battle," was my reply.

Without further ado, we began.

" Machop! Use Karate Chop."

"Intercept and use Brick Break."

The Karate Chop hit my Garchomp, and did not seem to faze him in the least. The Gym Leader was shocked. I simply smirked, knowing that it would unnerve him. Brick Break made contact. Machop was on the ground, fainted. Or so I thought. It began to glow. I cursed inwardly. Just my luck. Never mind. Machoke is still weak. I can take it down.

"Yeah bro! Show them your power Machoke!"

"Aqua Tail. End this now."

"Lift his tail, Machoke!"

" A worthless attempt. Your Machoke has just evolved. Besides, did you really believe that I was using Aqua Tail?"

"Aerial Diversion Command Alpha."

Garchomp's tail glowed blue, and it looked like it would hit Machoke, but Machoke had braced itself. At the last second. Garchomp flew up, and used it's claws for an Aerial Ace attack. This time, Machoke was really unable to battle.

"Damn, Bro! You got the moves! But this battle isn't over yet!"

"Go! Makuhita!"

"Finish this with Outrage."

No more words were exchanged. None were needed. Garchomp glowed a dark, dark blue; nearly black, and then red. He was surrounded by a pulse of red and blue dragon energy. He roared. The attack collided. I had won. Brawly looked on the scene in shock, and the fact that he lost appeared not to be registering in his head. I take the badge, and accept the TM he gives me. I exit the Gym without another word. I have other errands to run.


End file.
